another stormy commute. the green shows the rain coming down in the bay area. big problem on highway 24. we have a crash and all of a sudden, this commute has gone from bad to worse. >> we're not sure exactly what's happening right now at a crippled nuclear plant in japan but it looks like things are getting a lot worse. >> reporter: cal state orders all of the students study in

japan to come home. how the uc policy differs drastically. that and more. "mornings on 2" starts right now. good morning. i'm dave clark. >> i'm tori campbell. there's some rain showers coming down. let's get right to steve. well, it's ended now. it's more drizzly, light rain. there's not a lot going on. the computer shows the system moving through. there will be drier air coming in behind that. we're not done yet. there is a little bit of rain towards the east bay but everything seems to be falling apart. towards the south bay there's been light showers, back to the mountains. peninsula, things are on dry

side. as we go out wide, you can see there's nothing out in the north bay. >> the roads are wet. so sal has an update on that. this is on the border of orinda and la fayette. this has traffic backed up all the way out to walnut creek. that's a good long way. it's backed up past the happy valley exit. this camera is in la fayette right near the b.a.r.t. station getting back to the 24/680 interchange. now, people are on other road roads. they are on deerhead road and mount diablo. they are trying to get around this area. but the problem is up ahead. give yourself some extra time. they are wait everything for tow trucks now -- they are

waiting for tow trucks now. the san mateo bridge, not very good driving. it's wet there, heading to the peninsula. another complete traffic update straight ahead. let's go back to the desk. >> all right, sal. 7:02. in japan today, growing concerns over the possibility of a melt june of an earthquake- damaged nuclear plant. now, the people who live near that plant, look at them, they are being tested for possible exposure to radiation. at one point, one official said the amounts are 300 times the normal amount. and the dosage allowed for nuclear employees has been raised. they say that's necessary to allow those workers to keep working at the plant. now, in a very, very rare appearance today. this is japan's emperor, telling his people, don't give

up hope. he says japan is going through its worst world crisis since world war ii. the dead and miss is among 1 ,000. more than 450,000 people -- is among 11,000. more than 450,000 people are living in tents. ktvu has a crew over there. jana is live from skype. another large aftershock? and you felt it, jana? [inaudible] [inaudible]

>> what's going on in tokyo? is there any shortage of food or supplies there? >> you know, in the bottom of the hotel there is a 7-11 there. >> reporter: some people that i spoke with were trying to leave the japan. other problems are spilling over into other parts of the country. >> we're looking at video where

there's snow falling in some of the worst earthquake-damaged area and people are being screened for radiation. is there fear of radiation coming down in tokyo? >> reporter: well, it all depends on the direction of the winds. blan. [inaudible] >> reporter: there are so many people without their own homes. it's already difficult and just adds to the layer of complexity of the challenge. >> yeah. jana, live in toque yo. thank you -- tokyo. thank you. the crisis in japan is affecting a lot of california college students studying overseas. kraig debro is joining us live

to tell us about an urgent memo sent to cu students in japan. >> reporter: according to csu website, they send the most students abroad than any other. we'll be hoping to talk to some officials about their bringing students home even if they are not studying near where the quake zone. chancellor charles reed says he wants all csu students studying in japan to return and he's ordering no more students go to jam japan. we were told the students would be competing for resources. and the japanese people need it more. now, this morning a friend of a csu studying in japan said she cried when she heard the news but he thinks it's for the

best. >> it is pretty dangerous. i mean, they would be breathing in dangerous fumes, right? i don't think it's such a bad idea. >> reporter: reed says another reason for bringing students home are the dangers associated with the fukushima nuclear plant. tohuko university has been closed. according to the students from uc are all accounted for and there are no further plans to suspend. back to you. >> thank you, kraig. 7:08. in sacramento, the state senate

and the assembly both have votes scheduled today on governor brown's budget and tax extension plan. the governor needs the support of two republicans from each chamber to reach the two-thirds needed to put his tax extension proposal before voter on a special election ballot in june. so far, there's no indication on how the vote will go. 7:08. well, today, san jose residents can comment on a proposal for a new area code. the 408 area code has been exhausted. they say there's too many cell phones in area today's first public pleating will be held at -- meeting will be held at:00 p.m. at san jose -- at 2:00 p.m. at san jose city hall. let's check in with sal. sal? >> highway 24 near saint

stevens drive -- st. stevens drive. this crash is backing up traffic all the way to walnut creek. our newschopper2 is on the way and we'll be there shortly. this will be affecting 680 traffic heading to walnut creek. let's go to the -- we just lost the bay bridge tacoma. so -- toll plaza is getting crowded. northbound 101, that traffic is getting along okay getting to downtown area. i also want to see if i can move the maps here. i guess this is it for this report. let's get today's weather with steve. >> thank you, sal. >> you're welcome, steve. good morning. fog, light rain. we're about done with this. system was pretty good, especially in the north bay yesterday where it kind of hung out and drifted slowly south but not before san jose and

morgan hill and mountain view. 70degrees. very cloudy but very muggy and balmy. that will not be the case today as this system has moved through. it's also ushering in a cooler air mass. fog. this rain is light. tomorrow, cooler, some rain could move back in and then rain returns friday and fakes us -- and takes us right into the weekend and colder air will start to work its way in. not much left of the system right now. it's producing snow up at blue canyon, tahoe, truckee but the front has moved through us. we're turning more westerly winds. live stormtracker2 shows there's not much left. what's showing up and the observation that said rain was livermore. livermore airport and then stretching back to milpitas, san jose. again, there could be drizzle and light rain underneath that.

we're about done with this. 2.60 for cazadero. petaluma, 1.03. napa, .88. sfo and redwood city, .25. sanjose only .13. ukiah, 49 degrees. one system moves out. what's happening now is the low is digging down. as it does, it's forcing this moisture that we had over us from the southwest for about the last two days, south-south. we'll get into a cooler pattern and lose that pattern. clouds, cool he, showers are still possible but things quiet down today into tomorrow. but then friday, maybe thursday night, rain returns and this will be a very cold system. still some light rain drizzle around. but it's about over with. we'll turn partly cloudy. windy up in the hills. i've seen gusts to 30 miles an hour up the coast. temperatures have been sliding down and they will continue to

do that. tomorrow, again, i think we're all right in the morning. rain returns, it does look like a colder day. tori? >> thank you steve. japan's disaster could never happen here in the u.s. why america's top nuclear regulator will make that claim when he appears before congress this congress. and gap wants to make a deal with you but the promotion ends today.

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completing an atm deposit in record time... that's a step forward. go! go! with deposit friendly atms, you can make ultra fast, secure deposits with no slips or envelopes. take a step forward and chase what matters. traffic is going to be affected by a crash on 24 at st. stevens. 4 is backed up all the way to walnut creek. we'll keep an eye on this update. another traffic update, minutes ahead. 7:15. all this morning and you know,

we're focusing on the dangers and big questions around nuclear safety and what's happening with nuclear reactors and what could happen in this country. that's what congress will be talking about. alison burns has more. >> reporter: energy secretary, steve be chu, is testifying before a house commit -- steven championship, -- steven chu is testifying with and reiterated that u.s. nuclear plans are safe. but a few members of the committee are not buying it. they point to maps like this one that show nuclear reactors in the u.s. with an -- in areas with seismic activity, including eight on the west coast. they say they need more

protections from earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters. >> we, too, need a seismic shift in our approach to nuclear reactor safety. i feel we're not moving fast enough to take these steps. >> reporter: now, congressman markey is asking for a wider distribution of potassium iodine pills to deal with the potential of a nuclear crisis in the united states. the head of the nuclear regulatory commission is testifying next. he's expected to offer more assurances about nuclear safety here. we'll stay on top of this hearing and have more for you during my next update in about an hour. for now we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you. today, president obama is reviewing the aid the united states is giving to japan to help it recover from that massive quake and tsunami. the president is meeting with the u.s. agency for international development to talk about disaster assistance. now, the president has said the

u.s. is ready to help japan recover. it's 7:17. this morning, toyota announced it will keep its factories in northern japan closed, at least one more week. the world's largest automaker shut down all 12 of its plants on monday due to ongoing energy sources. that translates to a production loss of 40,000 vehicles so far. the earliest the plants will reopen will be next tuesday. toyota says it will restart production at spare starts that supply japanese dealerships tomorrow. the lack of new production combined with the new cars destined for sale, san francisco is the biggest market for the hybrid outside of japan. japanese car dealerships we talked with said they cannot

predict what they will have so they hope the customer will be flexible. >> if the customer is looking to one right now, they should look pretty hard now. >> even if you are not in the market for a new car, you should feel the effects of this because parts are not being shipped. yesterday, valero said they would be able to respond with fuel to japan if demand rises. they are also expected to increase production due to the increase in production -- increased production due to the increase in production. there's much worse than expected news on the housing market this morning. the federal government reports new construction of homes and apartments fell to the second lowest level on record.

the commerce department says housing starts fell 22.5% in february. the signs show there won't be a quick rebound as the number of building permits issued in february fell more than 8%, to the lowest level ever. and more bad news about inflakes. wholesale prices jumped 1.6%. food prices rose 3.9%. that's the biggest gain in 36 years. energy costs to their highest point in nearly two years. all of this bad news is bringing the u.s. markets down. the dow is currently down 57, 11,798, even though the nikkei in japan after two very rough days actually rose 5.7%. u.s. wine drinkers hit a milestone that many industry analysts thought they would never see. americans drank more wine than

french did. there are five times the amount of people m the -- in the u.s. than french. so french's consumption is higher than here in the u.s. >> yes. absolutely. what was found at the kennedy space center and what nasa plant -- plans to do about it. we're tracking the weather. the city has already been hit with a lot of rain. 24 at st. steve bees. it looks -- stevens. the lanes are clear but traffic is really backed up. we'll tell you more about this coming up.

we have developing news right now. we want to show you live pictures. this is a result of mudslides

in mason county, washington, washington state. you can see huge trees have been pushed over. kind of hard to see but this chopper picture is giving us a view of a road that's now blocked -- that's now blocked because of mudslides and trees that have been pushed down. haven't heard of any injuries. but as a result of all of the weather and everything else that we're experiencing on the -- of the west coast, this is in mason county, in washington state. it looks like a vehicle is knocked on the side. >> yeah. >> i can't tell if the crews are -- something is happening there right now. we'll keep an eye on this in washington. in other news, an investigation continues this morning after cocaine was found at the kennedy space center. 4.2 grams of cocaine found march 7th in a nasa facility but officials are not saying

where. nasa says they've got a zero- tolerance drug policy and all employees may be randomly tested. now, back in january of last year, cocaine was found in the processing facility where the space shuttle "discovery" was being prepared for a flight. fees are rising for people who withdraw money from atm machines. chase is reportedly testing $4 and $5 fees for atm withdraws by customers of rival banks. that's up from $3. a -- according to bankrate the average transaction knee was just 98 cents back in 1998. last near it was $2.33 per transaction. today is the final day to make a deal with gap for a pair of len's pants. shoppers will go to the website, gapmyprice.com and choose one of 18 styles of men's khaki pants. then you make an offer on the

pant -- on the pants that offer for nearly $50, $0. gap will either present a deal that shoppers can accept or give a counteroffer. and then gap will give a counteroffer which has been ranging from $35 to $40. a little bit of savings there. >> yes. let's go to sal. you have the chopper working? >> that's right. over highway 24. look at that long line of traffic throughout contra costa county. eventually as he pans to the left, it gets to the st. stevens area. if you drive from walnut creek trying to get to oakland, you will notice a big delay. let's move along. it's a little windy up there. westbound bay bridge a little

lighter. one last thing, this is a look at southbound 101, s an francisco. there's a stalled vehicle at cesar chavez. now let's go to steve. thank you, sal. we did have some rain last night, early this morning. now most of it is gone. we'll start to see cooler air move in. yesterday, boy, was it warm. very muggy for some. there were highs upper 60s to 70 even on the peninsula as well. but our system is moving through. as it moves south, it will start to bring in cooler air. there is really not much left. back to milpitas, san jose. some of the rain is pretty decent. 1.68. sanrafael .58. sanfrancisco and oakland had about .50. sanjose only .13. low 50s, mid-50s. ukiah is at 47 degrees. that cold air is starting to

work in. that could give us this afternoon. a lot of clouds around. maybe a few sunbreaks. windy in some of the higher elevations. temperature we'll start to have a partly cloudy day and then we'll look for maybe a few showers developing but the real system comes in on friday. that will be a colder rain and take us all the way into the weekend. dave? tori? >> reporter: i'm tara moriarty live in richmond, where parishioners at this church say they are willing to be arrested this morning. we'll tell you why they are here and why they are so upset. and japan's tsunami disaster has many people wondering if it could happen here.

right know, highway 24 is a mess because of -- now, highway 24 is a mess because of earlier problems. it's very windy up there. traffic is now improving after they've removed the vehicles. roads are clear after early- morning rain caused mudslides in sonoma county. yesterday, crews faced the same

problem near cazadero highway where a mudslide prevented people from getting to guerneville. forecasters expect more rain in the area for the next few days. in japan there is an increasing effort to prevent a meltdown at the nuclear power plant. the helicopters there, they are trying to dump water on the plants, tries to cool them down. 40% of the rods have been damaged. and then the testing centers set up near the plant, they are testing for people for possible radiation exposure. here in the bay area, a group of scientists is closely watching the levels in japan and assessing possible dangers here in the u.s. the n.o.a.a. is based on the lawrence livermore laboratory. so far, scientists say there's no evidence so far that radiational levels from japan will reach the u.s. but they

continue to monitor the wind changes and the rain patterns. emergency expert says if a tsunami slammed into the bay area, most communities along the water would be protected by the golden gate straight. that's because the narrow opening that leads to the bay would limit how much water could poor into the bayened a that -- and that would reduce inland flooding. new video of a tsunami surge in marin county. someone posted this video on youtube of richardson bay off sausalito. this was taken about 9:45 friday morning. no damage was reported in marin county. but you can see that large wave rippling across the surface. and today, officials in fort bragg will be taking a closer look at the damage caused by the tsunami there.

officials say there is an estimated $4 million worth of damage. the northern california city was pounded with waves up to six feet, wiping out docks and damages boats. today workers hope to remove pieces of the broken piers. and divers will be called in to evaluate damage done to the harbor. 7:33. happening right now, a church in richmond is staging a sit- in. they are fighting what they call a fraudulent evacuation. tara moriarty is live where we understand sheriff deputies are due to arrive any time. >> reporter: parishionerses say they are sitting down, in effect, standing up, for a cause. there are some standing guard waiting for the sheriff's deputies. others are inside baiting -- waiting for the showdown. this property is being

foreclosed. this church received a predatory loan, and say their signature wassing forked. these people say they are willing to be arrested. >> they are gonna have to drag me out here today. they are gonna have to handcuff me, drag me by my ankles. this is my property and we deserve to be here here. >> reporter: we did receive an e-mail statement from the bank disputing all fraudulent claims. torrey pines bank says they've worked with bibleway. now, we just spoke to the

pastor again moments ago. he got teary-eyed. he said he built this church from the ground up. he's been here for the past nine years and over the past years, he has watched everything fall apart. we're live in richmond, i'm tara moriarty, ktvu channel 2 news. :35. well, in san francisco -- 7:35. well, in san francisco volunteers are lending a hand to those who need it. you are looking at new video taken outside the bill graham civic auditorium on grove street. today, volunteers will be helping the homeless find housing and helping them with other services. coming up we'll be talking to mayor ed lee. we'll ask them about the city's emergency preparedness after friday's tsunami in japan. pg&e says it's missing some key documents related to the san bruno disaster. that could lead to hefty --

hefty fines. jade-- jade hernandez is in the neighborhood devastated by the explosion. >> reporter: good morning, a contractor will soon be building a new home on this lot next to where we're live this morning. as this san bruno neighborhood tries to rebuild, we're learning that pg&e failed to produce key documentation about the safety test. the utility filed a $154 -- a 154-page record of their facility we've learned despite poring over a million documents, pg&e came up 8% short of all of the documentation which provided critical evidence of test. the california public utilities commission ordered pg&e to provide information and will decide whether to hit pg&e with a hefty fine. pg&e's president has said it

will voluntarily test lines without records and will replace those pipes similar too the type that ruptured in san bruno. but the p.u.c. could still force pg&e to do this by 24% if they feel pg&e is not operating safely. the president released a video statement and said -- "while we have made good progress, we know we need to do more." >> reporter: we found this man who said pg&e has no excuse for no documentation. >> i want to believe that the tests were done because people would work for pg&e are humans just like ourselves, have families, live near pipelines. so i want to believe that they

are done but it's hard to say because you can never tell when a major corporation is telling you the truth. >> reporter: pg&e has avoided running water pressure tests on pipelines because of costs. the it has -- the company has not said how much this round of testing could cost but it's argued that the company's customers will pay for some of it. we've contacted the p. >> c. as soon as we get more information, we'll pass it along to you. >> thank you. we have traffic commute problems this morning. sal is all over it. what do you see? >> we're looking at newschopper2 showing us video. i want to alert newschopper2. it's kind of windy up there. wasn't-- they are showing highway 24 here. you can see how it has improved a little bit but it's still very flow from the orinda area -- i'm sorry from the walnut creek area all the way up to

the orinda area but we're seeing some signs of improvement now that the crash has cleared up on highway 4 near st. stevens drive. but that traffic this morning is going to be much worse than it normally is. let's move to san francisco. we have a problem that just cleared up. there was a stalled car there. they removed it but now traffic is still backing up on southbound 101. it is getting better, though. >> the morning commute in the santa cruz mountains, we've had a couple of different problems. 17 northbound, that traffic is a little bit slow. and then there is a car fire, southbound 280 near king. just had one of our tweeters say, boy, 280 is just a mess in the south bay because of these problemses near 101. 7:40 let's go to steve. sal, thank you, sir. well our testimony has

moved through of the rain is winding down. we're not done with the pattern. just pun system has moved out. today, partly cloudy, some sun. we can't rule out the shower. off and on moderate rain as this system sets right off the california coast. the system over us this morning has moved off. there's been some pretty good thunderstorm activity up at crescent city and eureka. pretty good reports of hail. but that's staying up there. that's where that colder, unstable is here. snow up in the sierra nevada. there's not much left. we had a band go through.

that's it. it's about done. it doesn't mean wasn't pretty good rain. yes, there was, my friends. >> 51 to 54. that cold air is moving its way into mendocino county and lake county. but our moisture plume is diving south as this system alone in the gulf of alaska starts to deepen. as it does, it starts to drop everything southward. mountain view was 70le morgan hill was 72. sanjose 70. not today. not today.

this is a computer-generated image. today is a much calmer day. tomorrow morning, probably some patchy fog colder in the morning. we'll get in the 40s tomorrow morning. watch how late in the afternoon/evening thursday night takes us into thursday afternoon starring in the north bay. takes us into thursday night but watch friday. that's the colder system starting to work in. friday morning's commute could be pretty tough, especially towards the north bay and even the evening commute into the weekend. this system is not going anywhere. it will hang in here and send in band after ban. clouds, showers, but windy in the hills. upper 50s, lower 60s. we'll go 64 brentwood. yesterday, very warm but not as warm. still mild for gilroy. redwood city, 62. scattered showers at 60. we're not done -- santa cruz at 60. we're not done yet. here comes more rain for the weekend. and turning colder. >> thank you.

which u.s. airports bumped more passengers than any other in the world?

some disappoint -- some disappointing news sent stocks lower. new home construction fell to

the second lowest record -- second lowest on record. in japan after tough two days, the nikkei was up 5.5%. right now, the dow is down 46. >> the nasdaq is flat. s&p, down 2. the tsa is refusing to send representatives to a congressional hearing today on the use of full body scanners. last friday, the agency ordered retesting from 247 scan -- for 247 scanners at 38 airports because of an error at calculating radiation levels. today, activists are invited to testify at a hearing. the tsa had agreed to send employee witnesses but yanked them because they didn't want them on the same panel as non- government agencies. atlanta's hartsfield- jackson international airport is holding onto its title as

the world's busiest airport. travel experts say atlanta retained the top spot because of the hubs there. beijing ranked second, chicago, ranked third, pulling ahead of london's heathrow, which was hurt because of cancelled flights due to strikes, the huge snowstorms. this morning, san francisco mayor, ed lee, has in his hands the list of finalist force the new police chief. the panel met last night and they gave ed lee the names of three names, at least, and the mayor says -- >> make sure that the culture in the police department is not reflective of some activities how would they train and

retrain these officers. >> mayor lee says he's asked the police collision to take into conversation how each side would deal with scandal. the scandal is tied to this, eight san francisco police officers are accused of conducting illegal searches and falsifying police reports. that scandal has led to the dismissal of almost 70,000 cases. mostly drugs. 7:49. utah's governor has signed new immigration legislation that's drawn protests from people on both sides of the immigration debate. one of the bills requires police to check immigration status of anyone stopped for a felony or serious misdemeanor. another bill create as guest worker program for undocumented immigrants in the state. other provisions allow

businesses to recruit mexican workers to sponsor foreign residents who want to work or study in utah. 7:49. well, the american people are more likely to be accepting of families led by gay and lesbian couples. however, single mothers are less accepted. this is all according to a new study. some say gay parents may be looked at more positively because they are providing a two-parent household. tv shows that feature gay families are also credited with cite eighting a wider acceptance. big names in hollywood calling on president obama to take a stand on same-sex marriage. ellen degeneres and the star of "glee" jane lynch, they are just the -- they are just a couple of names. the document asks the president

to take the next step and legalize same-sex marriage. 7:50. once again, america's most famous basketball fan is getting caught up in march madness. president obama has revealed his pecs for the top seeds to advance to the top. the president correctly picked north carolina to win in 2009. last year he went to kansas and duke ended up taking home the trophy. >> he's in to it. >> uh-huh. a sad story to tell you about. this is about underaged drinking. the age of the youngest child to be treated for alcoholism by hospitals in england. it could be a long wait for that new ipad.

welcome back. more testimony expected in the trial of alex youshock. yesterday, prosecutors showed several clips allegedly made lie youshock. one of them shows the sheriff shooting at -- characters shooting a the principal. if convicted, he could face life in prison. :54. a really sad revelation by british hospital officials. they've recently treated the youngest patient they've never -- they've ever had for alcoholism. only three years old. they say the toddler was given booze and suffered from withdrawal symptoms. the can child was among 13 under the age of 12 to be diagnosed with alcoholism between 2008 and 2010. this may be the story of

the day, a japanese news crew captured a heartwarming scene from that quake disaster zone. you have to see the video. look at this. a very brave, loyal dog standing by the side of a fellow pet injured in that quake and tsunami. it looks like the dog is actually calling for the tv screw to come over and help his injured friend. both of those dogs are okay. japanese tv station is getting flooded with calls. people want to adopt both of those dogs. >> oh, would you. apple is delaying the launch of the ipad ii in japan because of the earthquake in tsunami. it was supposed to -- earthquake and tsunami. it was supposed to go on sale next friday and due to high demand in the u.s., online orders will be delayed up to five weeks. people are lining up outside

the doors. analysts predict 500,000 to 1 million were sold the first weekend. >> a lot more than the first. >> yeah. sal, have you fixed highway 24 yet? >> we're trying to, dave. it's going to be pretty slow there. traffic is going to be a little bit better when you get over to the other side of the tunnel. this morning's commute is backed up at the tacoma, a little bit more of a backup as more people have been getting through but not as bad as yesterday. this looks like a moderate backup, maybe about ten minutes. i want to thank one of my tweeters, veronica lopez, who said that 280 is a mess at king, southbound at king. very slow traffic there. also slow traffic on 2 0 near 17. so i appreciate the information. if you can drop me a tweet and

let me know what's going on in your traffic. not while driving, though. i need to say that. :5 let's go to steve. we had some good tweets as well. spweather. we had a really wally air mass over us yesterday with rain to the north bay and 70-degree temperatures towards mountain view, and not the case today. rain ends. it will still be cloudy to mostly cloudy. sun, clouds, breezy, 54 to 60. some of the winds in the higher elevations have been up to 30 miles an hour. clouds, cooler sun. everything is kind of quiet. there is an active pattern coming down. all of that moisture in the air

wouldn't take much to build up. 47 up at ukiah. that cold air is getting closer. it's harting -- starting to work its way down. we do get a break after today and then tomorrow. the rain will return late thursday and friday looks like a cold rain will make it. 7:58. a bay area teacher describes her horrifying experience in japan. >> it was probably the most devastating thing i've ever seen. >> what she saw when the tsunami slammed into her town. also, japan's emperor speaks out about the quake and the tsunami disaster. this is a rare tv appearance.

good morning. right now we have lingering showers falling on the bay area. but there is a lot more wet weather on the way. >> this morning, there are growing concerns at a meltdown at a crippleled nuclear plant in japan.

what we've learned in the last few hours. >> reporter: and why the chancellor of the state university system is ordering all students studying in japan to come home. that's next when the second hour of "mornings on 2" continues. welcome back. i'm tori campbell. >> i'm dave campbell. it's wednesday, march 16th. the latest steam so -- stove is moving out. so let's -- the latest system has moved out. let's get to steve. >> the system has moved through but that doesn't mean we haven't had activity. there's more on the way as we get towards the weekend. here's sal. >> steve, highway 24, the camera is still wet there, as

you can see, 24 is improving a little bit after we had a crash that blocked two lanes on 24 near saint stevens. if you drive on 24, you will knowty, this is much worse than it normally is. the wet weather is causing slowdowns. in marin county, we've seen some improvement, southbound 101 still backed up from the del paw dro exit. back to the desk. in japan today there are still growing concerns over the possibility of a meltdown at an earthquake-damaged nuclear plant. people who live near the plant are being tested for exposure to radiation. at one point, officials -- officials said radiation levels were about 300 times normal in the areas closest to the plant. and today japan raised the maximum amount allowed near

workers. in a rare twice appearance -- television appearance today, japan's emperor told his people not to give up. he said japan is going through its worse crisis since world war ii. the number of dead and missing is more than 11,000. and more than 450,000 people are now living in temporarily shelters. on top of that, the weather is changing in japan, making life tougher for the survivors it's snowing. at this point, more than 450,000 people are living in these temporary shelters. jana's there in japan. she told us this morning that cold weather is just adding to the daily struggles for those

survivors. >> reporter: there are so many people without their own home. this is just adding to the layer of complexities. >> the town is packed with people trying to get out of town because of the fear of the radiation exposure. the california state university system is closing up shop in japan. kraig debro has more. >> reporter: the california state university system may be the largest public university system in the country to tell the students studying in japan to come home. now, all uc students studying in japan have been given options, to continue to study or explore our abroad programs outside of the japan area and charles reed is ordering all students to return home from

japan and for no school to send any more students to japan. we were unable to reach anyone from that program. but a friend said she's got be the news. >> her mom came out to visit her after the earthquake. so i guess we'll just fly back. >> reporter: charles reed cites the nuclear explosions as a reason for calling home students. kraig debro, ktvu channel 2 news. five minutes after 8:00. one teacher from san francisco got caught in the middle of last week's tsunami disaster in japan. she's now describing her terrifying experience.

she was among dozens of students who had to race to higher ground. she said enormous waves turned her entire town into a vast pile of rubble. >> i mean, i wish i had a picture of what it used to look like a beautiful healthy town. thousands of people living in the area are missing and now presumed dead. stay with ktvu channel 2 news for continuing coverage on the crisis in japan. we'll bring you the latest developments both from japan and here in the bay area. 8:06. today in sacramento, the state senate and the assembly both have votes scheduled on governor brown's bucket and tax extension program. >> the governor needs two republicans to get the two- thirds needed before the voters in a special election ballot in june. so farers no indication on how today's vote will go.

san jose residents can share their opinions about a new area code for their city. utilitifullys say the 408 area code has been existed. they say there were too many cell phones in the area and it should be split into 408 and 699. let me show i something here. northbound 101, let me circle this. look at all of the red. there have been car fires and minor accidents here on 101. but 2 0 has improved. it's a little bit slower just off the bat but after the that, it looks good getting up to highway 17. 85 is slow at 28 o the south

bay not doing that well. if you drive on highway 17 you need to give yourself a few extra minutes. let's go to live pictures from our live camera network. southbound 101, it's okay in san rafael. southbound 101 near the nova foe exit. in fact i'm gonna get a better location here. southbound 101 still an ex-- still an accident in marin county. they are clearing it up. also, the morning commute is gonna be slow on. it's been off and on. be careful out there the roads are wet. let's go to steve. we talked about how storm track was showing signs. improving a little further south. we're on the tail end of a lot

of these systems. this morning it's almost over. there could be a few light showers. the cool air begins to spill in here. by noon, sun, clouds, breezy, 54 to 60. a little cooler towards the north. still mild to the south. 57 to 65. later this afternoon. we see things calm down. the front's gone through. there could still be showers coming down from the northwest. a little bit more of a stable ace but a cooler air mass is coming in. ukiah is 46. that cool air is starting to move its way in. cloudy. you bring in cool air that could bring showers. we are seeing the plume dip south at the low begins to drop southward. that is pushing everything south of us.

there could be few height showers scattered. sebastopol, just heard from john 2.50. there was some decent totals in the north bay as advertised. you can see how everything is starting to carve out. that's taking the moisture and sending it more to the south of us and also to the east. been some pretty good thunderstorms with hail and snow onager ends up in the sierra. cloudy, mostly cloudy, light rain will give way to a cooler rain. still a few showers around.

we're seeing a decrease in the rain this morning. upper 50s for some, low to mid- 60s for others. especially toward the north bay. we'll keep it on the mild side. a lot of upper 50s on the coast, low 60s of -- everywhere else. a cold, rainy, showery weekend saturday and sunday. >> thank you, steve. the nuclear crisis in japan has some lawmakers concerned what they are telling the u.s. energy chief at a hearing going on right now on capitol hill. the japan crisis. >> it's a huge impact on car buyers. the big announcement just hours ago from japan.

good morningle. the rain is -- good morning. the rain is winding down. we have mostly cloudy skies. it will be cooler today, 60s, some scattered showers are possible. we'll get a break until friday and then a really cold system begins to move back in. 8:14. governments around the world are raising more questions about the safety of their nuclear power plants in wake of japan's crisis. that includes, china, germany, france and also here in the u.s. in fact, ktvu channel 2 reporter, alison burns joins us live to let us know about a congressional hearing going on right now on this issue. alison? >> some members of congress say the crisis in japan is a wakeup

call for the potential of a similar catastrophe here. let's get right to a live report -- a live hearing. steven chu has been testifying for about an hour and a half. he says nuclear reactors in the united states are protected against earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters. he also said the u.s. is committed to nuclear power and had learn from the disaster in japan. >> they are using more advanced designs. the number of reactors in the united states, more advanced designs and we're gonna look automatic what went wrong with this huge, huge earthquake and then huge tsunami. >> reporter: but some members of congress are not sat fid with chu are not sates fid with chu's words. they are worried the reactors

don't have appropriate protections, especially if they lose power for long periods of time. alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> all right. thank you, alison. today, president obama is reviewing the aid the u.s. is providing japan to help it recover from the massive earthquake and tsunami. the president is meeting with the u.s. agency for international development to discuss the disaster assistance. in an interview yesterday, president obama said he wants to make sure the japanese people know we have their back. 8:16. toyota made a big announcement hours ago. it are keep its factories in northern japan closed for at least one more week. the world's largest automaker closed all 12 of the months on monday because the energy sources. that translates to a production loss of 40,000 vehicles so far. the earliest the plants will open again is next tuesday. toyota says it will restart pro

diction of spare parts. -- pro duck of spare parts. sanfrancisco-- production of spare parts. sanfrancisco is the biggest market for the hybrid -- hybrid. japanese car dealerships we've talked to said they can't predict if they will have any. they hope a customer will be flexible. >> if a customer is looking for a car right now, they should probably look pretty hard nowed. >> and current toyota observers you may feel the effect of the tsunami and quake damage before. valero said yesterday they

will be able to respond with fuel to japan if the demand arrives. the company has two west coast refineries including one here in the bay area, in benicia. 8:17. well fees are going up if you withdraw money from atm machines. the banks are scrambling trying to replace revenue lost by new banking regulations. according to bank rate, the average transaction fee was just 98 cents back in 1998. and last year it bass $2.33 per transaction. ebay trying to bring in some more sellers by lowering their fees for the second time in a year. starting in june, the san jose auction site will offer sellers free listings on as many as 15 items a mott.

ebay will charge smaller amounts. today is final day to make a deal with gap for a pair of men's pants. you make an offer on the pants that retail for either $50 or $0 --or $60. gap makes the final offer which has been ranging from $35 to $45. a little bit of a discount. >> okay. >> uh-huh. 8:19. well a popular restaurant chain is targeted with a lawsuit, the potentially dangerous item one woman said she bit in to while eating her food. and a disturbing find at kenny -- kennedy space center. what nasa officials found and what they will do next. good morning. northbound 280 traffic moving along pretty well getting up to

highway 17. another update -- straight ahead.

general david petraeus says u.s. troop withdrawals from afghanistan starting in july will include both combat forces and support troops. now, in testimony on capitol hill this morning, general petraeus did not say exactly how many troops may be pulled

out in july. 8:22. an investigation continues this morning after cocaine was found at the kennedy space center. 4.2 grams was discovered in a nasa facility but officials will not specify where. nasa says they have a zero- tolerance drug policy and all employees may be randomly tested. in january of last year, cocaine was found in the processing facility where the space shuttle "discovery" was being prepared for flight. well a new mexico woman is suing the restaurant chain chili's. she said she found a needle in her food. she said the chain took 50 days to check that needle at the lab. she didn't catch any diseases. so far there's been no comment from chili's about the lawsuit. we want to check in with sal with an update on the

commute. >> we're gonna check the bridges right now just to see what it is like to get across them. right now, it looks pretty good. it's much better today than yesterday. today it's light. there is a little bit of backup at the metering lights. sanmateo is dry off and finally steve mentioned we're getting some of that dry air to dry us off. speaking of the weather, let's go right to steve. we do have mostly cloudy skies. there will an few sunbreakses. but it will be -- sunbreaks. but it will be cool he. plenty of moisture out there but it's dipping south. as it does, it pushes this moisture sours plume south and eve of us. still a possibility of showers later on. you get this cool air in place

and lift some. moisture-- some of the moisture it couldn't take much. 50 to 54 on your temps. we will see, one system starting to dig in. as that does, that will usher in cooler temperatures under partly to mostly cloudy skies. we'll mention some scatters but the rain line has fizzled out. 50s upper 50s low to mid-60s. should cover it from north to south but not kneerly as warm as we -- as we -- but not nearly as warm as yesterday.

a very emotional standoff in richmond. a bay area church facing evacuation refuses to give up without a fight. tara moriarty is live -- there she is. and i know you got an update from the contra costa county sheriff deputies. what did they say? >> reporter: well, they told us that evacuation is the very last process, step in this entire process. so as far as them being evacuated today, it may not happen today or a couple of days. there are a couple of parishioners here. they are standing up for what's right by doing this. they are staging a sit-in waiting for authorities to arrive here this morning to evacuate them. we spoke to the pastor here in richmond. he says the church received a predatory loan and that his signature was actually forged

on bank documents. it's a pretty hefty charge that the bank is disputing. now after a year of going back and forth, deputies from the contra costa county sheriff's office are expected to kick these folks out. >> from a to. z the road -- from a to z, the road is long. and they are looking at -- we're willing to get arrested today. >> reporter: now, bibleway says it began its grassroots efforts to clean up the community. it's located in the triangle area. this is to help drug addicts, the abused and neglect -- neglected. now we did receive a statement

-- a statement from torrey pines bank. >> reporter: we're live, i'm day raw moriarty, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, tara. in japan an effort to prevent a meltdown at an earthquake-ravableed helicopter plant. but now plant has been abandoned because of the radiation levels being too high. you can see here special testing centers are set up right near the plant. they are checking people for possible radiation exposure. now, back here in the bay area, a group of scientists is keeping a very close eye on the radiation levels in japan. they are assessing possible danger here in the u.s. the national atmosphere release advisory center is based on at the lawrence livermore

laboratory. so far scientists say they see no evidence that dangerous levels of radiation will reach the u.s. but they continue to monitor the rain changes and the wind patterns. experts say if a tsunami slammed bay area most communities would be protected by the golden gate strait. that's because the -- narrow opening could reduce inland flooding but that same topography would channel all of the water that did pour into the bay directly at alameda and oakland. new video of a tsunami surge. someone posted this video on youtube. there you can see the white line in the water. this was taken around 9:45 friday morning. no damage was reported in marin county. but you can see the large wave rippling across the -- across

the water surface. the it up is being whaled for 4 million in damage to forthbrag. the northern california city on the coast was pounded with waves up to six feet, wiping out docks and damaging boats. today, workers hope to remove -- to remove pieces of the broken pier. divers will be called in to evaluate the damage done to the harbor. >> those waves that hit hawaii left behind some horrible scenes on beaches. the video we're about to show you may be tough to watch. but take a look, a large number of dead ocean species, just washed ashore. this is all over the place. oceano graphers say this could be happening from ocean sediment or just the surge was too much for these fish to handle. officials say the dead fish will stay there on beaches so they can be studied by the experts to figure out the exact

cause of death. jade hernandez is in the area of the pg&e explosion and has this report. >> reporter: the utility filed this 154-page summary of its records. it's about an inch thick but it's missing something -- this morning we've learned to find pg&e volunteers poring over a million documents. pg&e came up short. the utility didn't have evidence of -- evidence of critical tests for one-third of its gas transmission lines. the tests cover 1800 miles of pipeline. the california p.u.c. ordered pg&e to provide this information and now they will determine today whether to slap pg&e with a hefty fine. the head of the p. >> c. is expected to have more about the actions today --

about the actions. pg&e's president has said it will voluntarily test lines without records and replace pipe similar in age to the pipe that ruptured here in san bruno. the company's president did release a video statement. he says while we made good progress, we know we need to go door -- we need to do more. >> even if they -- even if they doesn't have them on computers or disks, they should -- they should have them and should have downloaded them years ago on this modern technology. it makes no sense. >> reporter: the man you just heard from right there was a runner we spoke to earlier this

morning in neighborhood. we've contacted the p.u.c. this morning but have not heard back from there. back to you. >> thank you. the tsa is refusing to send representatives to a congressional hearing today on the use of full body scanners at airports. last friday, the agency ordered retesting for 247 scanners at 38 airports because of an error in calculating radiation levels. and today, activists are invited to testify at a hearing. the tsa had previously agreed to send employee witnesses but yanked those plans because it did not want them sitting on the plan as non-government witnesses. the action plans to submit wit -- the agency plans to submit written testimony. atlanta's hartsfield- jackson international held onto the title for the world's

busiest airport. at least for a while. beijing, china was second. by the way, chicago's o'hare ranked third, pulling ahead of london's heathrow airport. 8:35. let's check in again with sal castanedo, keeping a close eye on all of the problems. >> atlanta, huge. >> yeah. >> it's big. good morning, everyone. sanfrancisco airport not reporting any delays right now -- right now. we should check with your carrier always. if you are a prudent traveler, no problems getting there. let's take a look at highway 101 as you drive down through 580, that commute is improving. this morning's commute at the

tacoma is getting -- toll plaza is getting better. there is a small delay there. let's go to steve. thank you, sal. some of this cool air moving in could provide enough lift here to give us some scattered showers but the front went by. pretty good rain. north bay tell you about totals in a second. today, morning rain, fog. upper 50s low 60s. partly cloudy tomorrow. cooler breezy. the wind has kicked up along the coast. rain returns friday. this will take us right into the weekend. it's a colder system. reason being we've had this moisture coming up from the southwest and sitting on top of us for two days. now that the system is digging right there, coming down. that's dropping this southward. as it does, it will clear the area over us. again, some of that rain continues to just move off towards the east and south.

sebastopol picked up 2 inches plus, cazadero had 2.50. pretty good rain. >> 50 to 54. but 46 up at ukiah. the cooler air is beginning to work its way southward. one low spinning right -- right there. it will head up towards portland, seattle but the system in the gulf of alaska is going to really drop our temperatures as we head towards friday and saturday. light morning rain gives way to partly to mostly cloudy skies. cooler, showers are possible as we get a -- buildup in the afternoon. nothing like yesterday. friday the rain returns and

that's gonna be a cold system. cold. mostly cloudy, cooler, showers possible today. windy up in the higher elevations, upper 50s, low 60s here for some. we'll see some mid-60s towards the santa clara valley. gilroy, 65. they were -- 65. they were 70 yesterday. not today. partly sunny, partly cloudy. here comes. system friday. it looks to be cold and rain one saturday. 8:39. state officials will attempt to control an invasive weed in the delta. the plant is used in home aquariums. it is impossible to eradicate but department of boating will asupply a chemical to slow its growth. officials say it's harmless to animal and people but residents should avoid using delta water for landscaping during the treatment period. it will be applied the week of -- the week of april 11th. this morning, san francisco

mayor ed lee has in his hand the final lift, of who will become the police chief. and next, mayor lee will join us next. they are looking for a good home and the price is right if you are ready to adopt a four- legged friend right now.

let's get you updated on some of the top stories right now. developing news in pakistan. the release of a cia contractor who killed two pakistani men has triggered protests outside of the u.s. consulate. police reportedly fired tear gas on some 200 contractors. the protesters say he shot the man after he tried to rob them. the chancellor is asking csu students now studying in japan to come home. that same memo urges cal state universities to stop sending students to japan. and airline files are -- officials around the world are closely monitor everything the radiation levels in japan and say they will make any changes in their flights scheduled -- flight schedules as needed. so far air china is the only

one who has cancelled some flights. 8:4. here is a question -- is something ready for a disaster like the one that japan is dealing with -- is san francisco ready for a disaster like the one that japan is dealing with? ed lee joins me. mayor, good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i'm doing very well. and that's -- that's a straight question. is san francisco ready if something like that were to happen here? >> yes, we are. we've been practicing for years. we have a department of emergency management that's worked with previous mayors and myself and we're trained. we've ready for disaster in this city. we're ready for all kinds of -- for all kinds and we've been monitoring the tsunami from japan. i was out last thursday and we were opening the emergency center and we had all of the departments responding as well.

so we're very ready. >> tell us a little bit more -- i wish i could ask you a thousand questions. how is san francisco helping japan? any specifics on what you are doing? >> yeah, well, certainly -- we sent a letter and i called the consulate general in japan. immediately the day of the earthquake, or the day after, and then i also met with the japanese northeastern community, japan town here -- japanese american community. japan town here. we have our sister city and we've had strong relationships with japan for many, many years. having said that, we sent a written message to japan to the consulate's office. we have offered our assistance. we opened a -- or are using san francisco gives back which is our website that officially has information on their how citizens of san francisco can contribute to this.

we're not asking people to send materials at the time. we're asking them to do monetary contributions if we can. we're gathering other corporations and others that we found -- that we found out yesterday, some of ther companies are gathering. and we'll let the japanese know we're helping. >> i don't know if you have it in your hand right now but the police commission gave you the names of finalists to be the new police chief. what are you doing with those names and are you close to making a decision? >> right. i've not had those names. i went to my office looking for them and they are not on my desk b you -- but i will expect to receive them today. >> yes and i will work diligently and we'll see where we go. i will be working on them forthwith as soon as those names are presented with me. >> do you have a time frame in mind how quickly you might name

a police chief, do you think? >> well, i want to make sure this decision -- this decision is done carefully. i have a feeling -- i want to make sure that the incidents have occurred these past two weeks and i want to select a chief that's strong, whose presence, his or her presence, will be able to make sure that every officer is doing their job. i do know that the officers are doing a good job, our city is a -- we're very safe. but there are incidents we want to make sure we take care of. especially any allegations whether or not officers, particularly in a particular unit are done ducting themselves, according to -- are conducting themselves according to the laws. want to make sure the new chief is going to speak to every community. fantastic city and we have an uptick in some of shootings, particularly in the mission. way want a -- i want to make sure that there's dialogue open

to all members of the community so we have good information so we can do good policing. >> i know the illegal search scandal has been waving -- weighing on you. what specifically will you loan -- will you be looking for? >> for someone there is -- that there's adequate discipline and training on search and procedures as well as how they conduct themselves overall. the chief is the number one person that everybody looks to for the conference. and then all of the other units to make sure that they follow in that command. it's bothersome, very much to see that happen and i want to make sure our chief and the whole police department has the training and the discipline to be able to avoid those kinds of circumstances. >> before you go, 2001 of the

major stories is project connect, homeless connect that you are involved in. what's happening today? what do you want to happen? >> well, today we're gathering here at the bill graham civic auder to yul. we do this on a quarterly basis. we're doing this for the 38th time which is to have a hole -- volunteering from companies and corporations, dealing with eyeglass and dental care and all kindses of mental health advice for just good food, have them come out of the rain and while we're giving these services that they would never receive often the streets. we're giving them the opportunity to talk with us about the lodge-term ideas. where are they going? what do they ed -- do -- what do they need to get off streets? and then i think we'll be able to turn a few heads and say, if you want to get off the streets, we can help do you that on a long-term basis.

that's part of the project connect. it's part of the overall programs. i've been a big fan of project homeless you a monday -- and now getting housing for our homeless. >> thank you, mayor lee, for join us on "mornings on 2." have a great day. >> thank you. utah's -- utah's governor has signed new legislation that's drawn protests from both sides of the debate. one of the bill requires police to kek the immigration stat -- to check the immigration status for anyone stopped for a felony or misdemeanor. 8:50. americans are more to be likely by families -- families septembered -- accepted by

lesbian couples but single mothers are less accepted. some say gay parents may be more positively viewed because they have -- they are a two- parent home. pretty big names in hollywood calling on president obama to take a same-sex marriage stand. jane lynch and ellen degeneres are just a few who dined -- who signed an open letter. it also asks the president to legalize same-sex marriage. 8:51. they were a long way from sesame street to protest budget cuts to public television. the actors who play big bird, cookie monster and elmo rallied in support of public tv in washington yesterday. they delivered petitions with more than a million signatures,

to help pay for sesame street and other educational programming. sesame street has been a hit among kids since 1969. well, the silicon valley animal celter -- shelter is offering a name your price deal to adopt a chihuahua. shelter workers say there have been several chihuahua dumpings lately. out of the dogs at the shelter, 40 are chihuahuas. typically their price tag, $150. right now you can pay whatever you want and take home a chihuahua. there is a -- here is a heartwarming story. a japanese news crew captured incredible footage. take a look. it show as brave and loyal dog standing on the side of a fellow pet injured in the quake of the earthquake and tsunami. the japanese tv station is getting flooded with calls from

people wanting to adopt them. 8:52. we'll-- well, apple is changing way we all buy itunes. it's all because of kids, money and music. and u.s. wine drinkers that are -- set a -- set a record last year and surprised even california winemakers.

welcome back. we're now learning the two boys were hit by a car yesterday afternoon right outside of a school in antioch. the first reports we had said

only one child had been hit. this all happened outside of marsh elementary school. now, the 7-year-old boys were hit after running in front of a slow-moving car. one of the children you see there being airlifted to uc davis medical center. other little boy was taken to the hospital by his mother. neither child sufficiented -- suffered major injuries. there's worse than expected news on the housing market. new constructionen of homes and market -- construction of homes and apartments fell 22.5% in february. there won't be a quick rebound as the number of building permits issued in february well 8%. u.s. wine drinkers hit a milestone. americans drank more wine than the french. americans poured 100 million more bottles than french

people. there are more people in the u.s. than presence. so french's per capita consumption is still ier -- higher in than in this country. apple's making a purchase tougher, the issue was after you put in the passwords, kid kids have free reign until about 15 minutes. now users will have to put in the password and then -- again to purchase something else. traffic is moving along well. things have improved quite a bit. let's go to highway 24 westbound. that's improved quite a bit from earlier problems we -- we have in -- we have from getting to oakland. westbound bay bridge is light. if you are driving in san francisco, northbound 101 traffic looks good approaching the 80 split. let's go to steve.

mostly cloudy still some light showers around. we're on the decrease object drier side but a lot of cloud cover, cooler. more of the same on thursday. maybe even partly sunny. a few showers are possible, then we wait for this cold system to come in. that brings rain back in. kind of a rainy cool pattern. lowering snow levels may be down 3,000 feet. >> okay. spring stars on monday. >> monday. >> wow. >> the 21st. >> thanks for watching, everybody. >> buy now. -- bye now.